Letters to the Editor: You don’t need a ‘fiscal expert’ to see where LAUSD is wasting money

To the editor: I find it funny that the county has hired a “fiscal expert” to work with the Los Angeles Unified School District to eliminate its projected deficit (“LAUSD faces ‘severe’ signs of insolvency; county warns it could take control of budget,” July 9). You don’t need an expert. You just need common sense.

Example: When Andres Chait was acting superintendent, his salary was $395,867, plus a car with a driver. Who is he, Elton John? By the way, the president of the United States’ salary is $400,000, just $4,133 more than Chait’s.

I will speculate that there are examples like this throughout every agency in L.A., from the LAUSD to the Department of Water and Power to the Police Department. The rotting food in Boyle Heights is not the only thing that stinks in L.A.

Chuck Heinz, West Hills

..

To the editor: Over the past 40 years, we’ve seen an ever-increasing wealth gap. This has been fueled, in large part, by the demonization of labor unions, which used to be lauded for their work in keeping the ultra-wealthy in check. So now that the LAUSD’s budget might not be enough to pay the duly negotiated and well-earned salaries and benefits of the teachers, custodians and lunch staff, the focus is on the unions, not on the willingness of the uber-wealthy to pay to educate our children.

Instead, we are told that funding is “heavily dependent on the current stock performance of artificial intelligence companies.” We are told to cheer for them to make billions so that we can have pennies.

John Taylor, Irvine

..

To the editor: My family includes three generations of public school educators, grades pre-K through 12, in three states. That started in 1936, the year I was born.

Here are two questions related to Inglewood’s recently ended 14 years of state takeover (“The longest ever state school takeover is ending as Inglewood steps toward local control,” July 9), LAUSD’s risk of county budget takeover and the conditions of the public schools in Ojai, where I’ve lived in retirement for 25 years after 40 years of being a teacher and counselor in Southern California public schools. My employment in LAUSD lasted for 15 years, and my employment with the L.A. County Office of Education also lasted 15 years.

First question, for LAUSD: Do you want to risk being under the control of the state and possibly having the same experiences as Inglewood? Do you want job reductions, layoffs, school closures, 11 appointed leaders over an 11-year span and comparatively low salaries contributing to staff turnover and hiring challenges?

Second question, for parents of all districts in California: No district is immune from the risk of a state takeover, which does not necessarily improve student learning. Fourteen years of instability can affect the classroom environment of an entire generation of students from kindergarten through 12th grade. The district in which I live has undergone some of the same challenges as Inglewood and LAUSD. Would you want even one of your own children to experience 14 years of instability?

Wendell H. Jones, Ojai